Killer in a Kimono
by C.K. degu
Summary: The Tantei are pulled out of retirement to destroy a deadly drug maker. To do this, they must go undercover in the town of Mayaku, famous of their teahouses and geisha. Fortunately, Koenma enlists the aid of the perfect spy to help the mission.
1. Hisui

Is anyone still ing the YYH section? Haha.

Killer in a Kimono  
_A Yu Yu Hakusho Fanfic_

Chapter One: Hisui

"I'm glad you're all here," Koenma spoke, his voice etched in deep concern as he planted his tiny hands on the desk that was much too large for him. His brows were furrowed, as they always seemed to be, and he was frowning, which was nothing new. But Koenma was bothered. So deeply bothered that he had to bring Yusuke out of his forced retirement as a Spirit Detective, Kurama and Kuwabara out of their regular, human lives, and Hiei out of patrol duty in Demon World.

"I'm only here because Botan said so," Hiei grumbled.

"I already told you, Hiei," Botan said sternly from behind Koenma's desk. "We already talked to Enki. If all goes well we just might be able to end your patrol time sooner than later."

"Be that as it may," Koenma continued. "I'm grateful that you're here. As you might have noticed, energy levels around Human World have been spiking recently, so much so that it's causing us to raise alarms here in Spirit World."

"So? What else is new?" Yusuke asked. "I mean there's plenty of guys walking around with spirit energy. What's the big deal?"

"At first, we thought it was simply a natural reaction to the fact that we took out the barriers between the Human World and Demon World, similar to that of the Mushiyori City incidents during Sensui's time. But apparently, we were wrong."

Reaching forward, Koenma pushed one of the many buttons on his desk, the screen in front of him flickering to life. He gestured to the Tantei, who turned. On the screen, frozen, was a destroyed building in Tokyo, which had popped up in the news recently.

"We managed to keep this from the media. You might have heard the news that last week, an earthquake struck this part of Tokyo, destroying this building and killing everyone inside it."

"That was no earthquake," Kuwabara said. "I would have felt it if it was."

"You're right," Koenma said. "That wasn't an earthquake. We noticed that a couple of months ago, a new drug started to circulate in the black market, reaching the masses pretty quickly. Normally, the Spirit World doesn't interfere with matters like this, but then we learned that the drug has a very interesting side effect. Here's the inside of the building five minutes before the ' "

Koenma pressed another button, causing the scene to rewind right before their eyes, until the building was whole again. The camera had somehow zoomed in on one of the windows in the building, showing a businessman talking angrily on the phone. Once he hung up, he lifted up his sleeve and tied something to his arm. A tourniquet. He grabbed a needle from deep within the recesses of his cabinet and injected it right into his bloodstream. He seemed to feel immediately better afterwards, much like you would feel better after someone just gave you a blow job. But, something was wrong. Once the guy leaned backwards into his desk, he started to rub his chest, like he had indigestion.

"Oh man, I know that look," Kuwabara said. "When I really started to use my spirit energy it got really uncomfortable sometimes, and I thought it was heartburn."

"Look at what happens next," Koenma said.

Just then, the guy started to glow with an eerie sort of aura, one you would associate with spirit energy. But then it started to get stronger and stronger. Soon, the man was in pain, holding on to himself, as of afraid he would explode.

And then he did. The scene quickly turned to the one they were familiar with, the building shaking and tumbling all the way down. Koenma wordlessly turned off the screen, the boys turned to him.

"From what you've seen, it's obvious why we need to interfere."

"What the he'll kind of drug was that?" Yusuke asked, eager to jump in to action.

"More importantly," Kurama said, speaking for the first time. "What can we do to help?"

"The drug is known in Demon World as Hisui," Koenma said. "To the average demon, Its effects are equal to that of your every day heroin or cocaine. But someone had the brilliant idea of selling this in the Human World, not knowing about the side effects. Our intelligence has found that the members of Torukane and Sakyo's group of rich mad men have established a little town up in the mountains, right in between human and Demon World. We're positive that the drug is being sold or manufactured there."

"Awesome," Yusuke said. "So we bust in, kill the bad guy and save the day again."

"Its not that simple," Koenma said. "To answer Kurama's question, the four of you will have to go undercover in that town. Not all the people there are demon brutes and human scoundrels. You will have to involve yourselves in one of the town's favorite hobbies."

"And what's that?" Yusuke asked, which made Koenma smile.

"Drinking tea," he answered simply.

He didn't seem too surprised when the four just looked at him like he was nuts.

"The town up in the mountains," he said, "Or Mayaku, as they call it, is pretty famous for their fabulous selection of teahouses and geisha."

"Tch. Don't tell me were supposed to be blending in with that ridiculous crap," Hiei said.

"You are, " Koenma said, "but not in the way that you would expect. Besides having the four of you looking for our man, you will have someone on the inside the tea district, someone who was trained to extract information and become inconspicuous."

"What do you mean, like a spy?" Yusuke asked.

"Yes. A geisha spy. Gentlemen, may I introduce you to Hana Jung," Koenma said, standing to gesture towards the door. "She'll be your new teammate."

The four boys turned to meet the new girl. She wasn't too tall, just a bit under Yusuke's height. Her features, from afar were...well, they were pretty spectacular. Her skin seemed to me made of porcelain, flawless and smooth. Her long, dark hair fell straight just above her waistline, emphasizing her thin, hourglass appearance. Her form was graceful, poised, something you would have expected from a ballerina or a dancer. Her smile was gorgeous, seemingly lighting up the room. But the boys barely noticed these when they saw her eyes. They were the most curious shade of amber, similar to that of Kurama's in his youko form. Her clothes were pretty modern, very un-geisha, but you could tell. There was something about her. Something...different. Hana smiled to them and bowed, crossing one hand over the other as she did.

"It's an honor meet all of you," she said, rising back to her full height. "The Reikai Tantei has quite the reputation here in the Spirit World."

"Oh, do we?" Yusuke asked, puffing up his chest. "Well, Koenma didn't tell us that you were such a charmer.""Well, obviously she has to be," Hiei huffed. "I hardly think that men, much less demons would be attracted to anything that looked remotely like Kuwabara."

"You calling me ugly, shrimp?" Kuwabara challenged, immediately turning to Hiei, who crossed his arms over his chest.

"If the shoe fits, asshole."

"So," Kurama said, cutting the argument short by moving in between Hiei and Kuwabara. "How will this work, exactly? I assume that you will be our geisha."Hana nodded, and turned to Koenma to confirm that she could go on. Once Koenma nodded, she turned to the others. "I will be living in the okiya with Kuwabara, as he will be my dresser."

"You hear that, Kuwabara?" Yusuke snickered before Kuwabara punched the side of his face to shut him up. Hana took that as a sign to continue. "Since everyone knows every okiya in the town, Botan will be in charge of the okiya Koenma set up under another name. In a sense, I'll be living independently."  
Botan nodded, seemingly in approval of this part of the plan. "Yusuke and Kurama, since you both are pretty well-known amongst demon circles, you'll become my danna," Hana said. "Danna?" Kurama echoed, tilting his head to the side. Hana nodded again. "To a geisha, a danna is her patron, someone who provides her with security and safety," she said. "I will escort you in engagements and we'll be able to safely talk about what we've discovered within the course of the mission."

"Of course, Kurama, you would have to stay in your demon form if you wish to keep your identity a secret," Koenma pointed out, to which Kurama shook his head. "It's inconsequential, especially after the tournament," he pointed out before turning to Hana. "What about Hiei?" Kurama asked. Hana seemed to be studying the fire demon carefully, as if trying to seize his character. Hiei, who was sitting in a corner, was glaring at her as well. A small smile formed on the corner of her lips. "He'll be on patrol duty," she said, fighting back a chuckle at the irony. Hiei continued to glare.

"Listen, onna. I didn't get out of Demon World just to be your watchdog in geisha town."  
"Hiei," Kurama said sternly, throwing a glance at Hana, as if asking if he could interrupt. Hana nodded and Kurama continued. "Obviously you're the only one suited for the job," Kurama said. "You're the fastest and the most stealthy among all of us."  
"Hn."  
"However, if you do object, I'm sure Kuwabara would be delighted to take patrol duty," Hana offered, to which Hiei immediately grunted. They weren't really sure if that was a good thing. "We'll take that as a yes," Koenma said, turning to the others. "If there aren't any more questions, you can go. Just be ready tomorrow, six am sharp. You'll all be taking the bus to the mountains."

"Thank you, Lord Koenma, Botan." Hana said, bowing to him and to Botan before turning to the others. "I'll see you boys tomorrow," she said to them, bowing as well, before turning to leave. "Yeah, see you," Yusuke said, his eyes following her all the way out the door. Kurama walked towards the door to make sure that she was gone before closing them. He gave Yusuke a nod.

"What the hell, Koenma?" Yusuke asked, taking the god by surprise as Yusuke slammed his palms on his gargantuan desk. "Who the fuck was that?"  
"I told you! She's Hana Jung, and she's going to help-"  
"Don't avoid the question. Who is she, _really_," Yusuke said, giving Koenma the stink eye. "I think what Yusuke is trying to say," Kurama said with a sigh, "Is that we're surprised you asked her to come in. What does she benefit from working for you?"

Koenma leaned back on his chair, twiddling his thumbs. "Oh," he managed to say. "Well, I guess all of you have your reasons for working here. Let's just say that Hana has her reasons. She's been undergoing training in the Spirit World for centuries now.""Centuries? Just how old is she?" Kuwabara asked.  
"By our guesstimation," Botan said. "She's right around Hiei's age."  
"What, five?"  
"Shut up, you idiot."  
"Who are you calling an idiot, shorty?"

Koenma coughed, abruptly making the two stop. He looked up at Kurama, who seemed to be deep in thought. "Penny for your thoughts, Kurama," Koenma said almost sarcastically. "I'm beginning to see the logic," Kurama said. "Who better to act as a geisha than a vampire?"  
"A v-v-vampire?" Kuwabara asked, almost jumping right out of his skin. "Y'mean those things are real?"

"More real than we ever thought, apparently," Yusuke said, seemingly taking all of this in stride."If you want to know more about her, I suggest you just get to know her," Koenma said, dismissing all of them with a swivel of his chair. "You'll have plenty of time. But remember the reason why I called you all here. You're supposed to bring in the bad guy.""Get the bad guy, save the world," Yusuke said. "So what else is new?"

"I'll see you boys tomorrow, six thirty sharp!" Botan exclaimed as she escorted the four out the door. Yusuke noticed that Kurama still seemed a little bit preoccupied with his thoughts. "So, Kurama," Yusuke said, walking slower to match his pace. "How'd you know that Hana was a vampire?"  
"I've encountered vampires before in my forays in the Demon World," Kurama said. "They're intelligent, deadly and certainly beautiful. Koenma could not have chosen a better spy."  
"But you're uneasy," Hiei pointed out. "Yes," Kurama said. "Let's just say that I have never enjoyed their company."  
"But she's still our teammate," Kuwabara pointed out. "I know that. It just makes one wonder what it is she wants to make up for so badly that she became Koenma's latest experiment."

-End of Chapter One-

Oh you can post covers now? Interesting.


	2. Assimilation

Chapter Two: Assimilation

The following morning, Kuwabara arrived at the bus station, surprised to find Hana sitting alone, reading a book and singing softly to a song that was playing through her earphones. Her voice was like honey, sweet and fluid. "_Set me free, leave me be, I don't wanna fall another moment into your gravity..."_

Kuwabara had to steel himself so he would stop from touching her. He tried thinking of Yukina, who didn't seem to happy when she heard about the mission. What was it she had called him? Oh right. Her hero. "_Here I am, and I stand so tall just the way I'm supposed to be..." _But did that really matter? Not while Hana was there. Not while she was singing. Kuwabara shook his head and turned away, pretending that he hadn't seen her. Which was pretty impossible, given that everyone was looking at her.

"_But you're on to me, you're on to me and all over..."_

"You don't have to hide, Kuwabara," Hana said suddenly, turning her head towards him. She smiled a little and patted the empty space beside her. "I smelled you when you came."

"You can smell me?" Kuwabara asked, sitting next to her, mentally slapping himself for his previous thoughts. What the heck was that? He was totally dedicated to Yukina, and he had the invisible pinky string to prove it.

"Mhm," Hana said, putting her book and her music down for a moment. "When I met you guys yesterday, I kind of memorized your scents. So I don't kill you."Kuwabara gulped. "Oh."

Hana gave a lighthearted laugh. "Relax Kuwabara. I was kidding. I don't drink human blood, at least not anymore. I memorize scents like I memorize names. It just helps me know who's around, something I learned when I was training."

"Training? Like...in fighting?"

"In becoming a geisha," she corrected him. "Normally, a girl would become a _maiko_ at age five and become a full geisha only when she turns twenty. Obviously, I had no plans of becoming a geisha when I was that age, so Koenma had to put me under training. Lots of training."

"So...you always knew that this mission was going to happen?" Kuwabara asked, pulling on his shirt collar. It was a little hot out here. Hana didn't seem to notice.

"No," she said, shaking her head for emphasis. "Koenma just wanted a geisha spy handy. Luckily, he needed me as soon as training was over, or I would have been bored to death."

They sat there in silence for a few moments, though Kuwabara slowly found it a comforting kind of silence, totally non-threatening. "I appreciate this, you know," Hana suddenly said. "This...talking to me thing. Normally when people find out who I am, they tend to sit farther away from me."

"Well...I figured it'd be okay since we're teammates and all. And since I'm going to be your dresser," Kuwabara shrugged, getting uncomfortable at the mention of the word 'dresser'. Hana laughed and placed a hand on Kuwabara's shoulder, which he realized was eerily cold.

"Relax, Kuwabara," she said. "You don't actually have to see me naked or anything. The clothing I have to wear has _tons_ of layers that I can't reach myself. I'll need you then."

"Oh," Kuwabara said, breathing a sigh of relief. "I shouldn't have made Yukina so worried, then.""Yukina?" Hana echoed. "Is she your girlfriend?"

The conversation continued all the way into the morning, with Hana and Kuwabara chatting away all through the morning. Yusuke had laughed and called Kuwabara a girl, which got him a punch across the face. Everybody shut up right after that. But it was nice to see Hana and Kuwabara bonding a bit.

After the hour's ride up the road, they all got down on the edge of a traditional-looking Japanese town. Everyone was wearing suits or traditional kimono, and Hana spotted some geisha chatting with each other as a young maiko scurried after them. Botan hiked up her skirt a bit and led them to Hana, Kuwabara and Botan's apartment on the second floor of a house near the center of the city. Hana laid her things down in her room and opened up the windows.

Below, she had a fantastic view of the town square, cherry blossom trees and a bridge that led to the other side of a small river. "Isn't it beautiful?" Botan sighed. "I convinced Koenma that it was strategically important that we got this place."

"Nice," Hana said, smiling and nodding. Behind them, Yusuke, Kurama and Hiei bid their leave. They were to have their own apartment a bit further away, just so there wasn't any suspicion. "Hana," Yusuke said, going back to her before he went downstairs. "We'll go on our first stakeout at the Uukiya Teahouse tonight at eight."

"Can't wait," Hana said with a smile, bowing briefly at Yusuke before letting him turn to leave. Once the door was closed behind him, Hana yawned and stretched her arms. The she grabbed her trunk (which she somehow managed to single handedly carry up the stairs without the others noticing) and flipped it open. "Woah," Botan said, standing behind her and looking at the contents. They were kimono. There were at least five, each more delicate and beautiful as the next.

With Kuwabara's help, Hana each laid them out and placed them aside, ready and waiting to be worn. Kuwabara noted that the kimono were much more intricate than the ones he saw Botan or Yukina wore on a daily basis. They were certainly more special. However, he couldn't quite picture anyone wanting to wear something that heavy on a daily basis.

Next came the makeup. It had its own little trunk, the contents of which Hana carefully arranged on the dresser. There was white powder for her face, special red paint for her lips, long sticks of eyeliner for her eyes and hair accessories. There were a _lot_ of hair accessories.

While Hana was arranging her street clothes, Hiei appeared in the window and called her name. Hana turned towards him, as if completely unsurprised to see him there.

"Bored already?" Hana teased, dusting her hands off. Hiei glared at her. "I wanted to see how far the other place was to here," he pointed out her. Hana nodded and turned to ignore him, as Botan had suggested. Hiei stepped carelessly into the room, and Hana ignored it.

"Where's the oaf?" He asked. "If you're asking for Kuwabara, he's asleep in the next room," Hana said. "He needed some rest."

"Right," Hiei said. "Kurama suggested that you go around this afternoon and talk to the other geisha. They might know something."

"Okay," Hana said, nodding non-committally, her back still turned to him. "But Yusuke and I are still meeting later, yes?"

"Hn," he answered, her blasé attitude rubbing him the wrong way. Grabbing a pillow off the floor, he threw it at Hana, who immediately turned and and grabbed in squarely in her hand. "Dude," she said, and it seemed odd for her to be using slang like that. "Stop. If you want me to look at you when you talk to me, then you better do the same to me. Got it?"

"Hn," Hiei said, turning before he sort of...vanished into thin air. Hana sighed and looked around. She was all unpacked, kind of. Realizing that Kuwabara might be hungry (as proven by his stomach growling), she went downstairs to convince Botan that a second breakfast was just what he needed.

Later that evening, Yusuke arrived at the teahouse, looking quite spiffy, if he could say so. He was wearing a suit, one Kurama assured him did not look stupid at all. After telling the demon at the door that he had a reservation, Yusuke went inside, feeling like the top banana. Reminding himself that he was here on a mission, he tried to listen out for anything that seemed suspicious. "I'll give you a ten billion yen to do that-""Are you crazy! The boss will kill me!""If Enki doesn't lift this one soon..."

Nothing. Nothing but rich people talk. After ordering some tea (which he heard was the house specialty), it didn't take too long before Yusuke guessed that Hana had arrived. The teahouse kind of hushed into sudden silence, and it was so quiet that he could hear Hana's feet padding on the floor as she made her way to him. "Urameshi-san," she said respectfully, smiling and bowing. Yusuke had to hold back a chuckle. "Thank you for agreeing to meet with me."

"No, not at all," Yusuke managed to say. It seemed like everyone was listening in on them. "Come in."

The chatter resumed as soon as the door closed behind Hana. Yusuke barely noticed. He was busily staring at Hana. She looked at him and bit her painted lip.

"So, what do you think?" She asked him, turning around so he could see her fully. You could hardly tell that she was wearing the white makeup with such pale skin, but the red on her lips stood out so well that they looked like rosebuds. Her eyes were deep and more intoxicating than ever, but it all seemed to be lightened by the kimono itself, a light pink number with yellow flowers embroidered on it. "I like you better without all of that," Yusuke pointed out as Hana sat across him on the table. "But hey, you managed to stun the entire teahouse to silence. People are already talking about the new geisha who moved into town."

"True," Hana said, pouring them the tea. "That was the desired effect. And what about you and Kurama? Are they aware that you're here?"

"Yeah," he said. "We kind of let it spread that we just wanted to come and have a good time. Most of the people bought it.""So," Yusuke asked, almost uncomfortably. "Did Hiei find you?" Hana nodded as she sipped. "I did what you suggested and went to meet with the other geisha."

"And-?" Yusuke asked. Kurama figured that if Hana was going to find out a lot of things, there was no better starting point than the other geisha of the_ hanamachi_.

Hana sighed and put down her cup, turning her head left and right, as if to make sure that nobody was listening. "I found out a lot," she said. "Did you notice the gentlemen in the first door of the hallway?" Yusuke nodded. He recalled the man who was promising someone ten billion yen. "That was Yuuki Kato," she said. "A wealthy businessman who comes to Mayaku once in a while for some rest and relaxation. He's relatively harmless, but is _very_ into demons."

Yusuke nodded and let Hana continued. "The second door is the usual room of the Bushido gang. They think they run most of the town, but they're actually common thugs that most of the members of the BB Club hire when they need muscle."

"And the third?" Yusuke asked, indicating the room next to theirs. Hana frowned a little before speaking very softly. "None of the geisha are actually sure. They say that he moved into town just a month ago. They're not sure if he's a demon or a human, but he doesn't seem to enjoy the company of a female geisha."

"Got a name on the guy?" Yusuke asked. "None of them were lucky enough to have it," Hana said. "They told me that although they saw him around a lot, he was never really introduced to them."

"Scary," Yusuke commented, practically spitting out his tea. He needed sake. Hana picked up her cup and drank. "The geisha actually gave me an idea," she said suddenly, turning her eyes to Yusuke, who momentarily stumbled under her gaze. "I know I am lacking when it comes to descriptions, and suspects and I feel that in order for us to get a better scope of what we're dealing with, we have to gather everyone in one room and investigate."

"Like a party or something?" Yusuke asked. Hana nodded, a smile curved to her lips. "It's a perfect opportunity to try looking for our man," she told him. "Do you think it's a good idea?" Yusuke nearly slammed his cup on the desk. "Hey, any excuse to get this wrapped up sooner. I'll talk to Botan."

Hana beamed, as if absolutely delighted that she suggested something worthwhile. But Yusuke sensed something under those layers and makeup. Like something was off about her.

"You okay?" he asked, reaching for her arm. He wasn't exactly sure that this was proper geisha-danna behavior, but who the fuck cared? Hana shrugged of his arm a little, taking a deep breath. "I'm fine," she said. "I just...I haven't been around so many people in such a long time." She closed her eyes, as if composing herself. Barely a minute passed and she was okay again.

"So," Yusuke said hesitantly. "You...er...drink human blood."

Hana laughed, as if finding Yusuke's awkwardness absolutely adorable. "I used to," she said, refilling their teacups. "I don't anymore."

"But aren't you, you know," Yusuke said. "Thirsty?"

Hana threw him a look, which made him kind of back off a little. "Sorry," he said. "I guess I can kind of know how you feel. My ancestor was a former human eater, if you can say that, but he kind of gave up on it."

"What's your point?" Hana asked him, sipping her tea again. "I guess I'm asking you what it's like," Yusuke sighed, sitting more comfortably. "You know, being you."

"Oh," Hana said, setting down her cup. "Well...I don't drink human blood. So I have to look elsewhere. Animals, demons, as long as it has blood, I try it. And I've survived pretty well so far."

"But do, er, did you ever stick around Human World?" Hana smiled again. "Yusuke, please," she said. "Don't be so scared. I assure you I have perfect control over myself. We ought to be comfortable with each other, considering our covers."

"Why do I have to be first?" Yusuke almost complained, shaking his head. "I mean, I shouldn't be so nervous. I've come face to face with Raizen, my ancestor, and he's a billion times scarier and hungrier than you are. Why can't I even look you in the eye?"

With a flash, Yusuke was on his back, his teacup on the floor. Hana was on top of him, her scent even stronger, her features even more defined up close. There was a definite sparkle in her eye, and Yusuke wasn't sure if that was a good thing. But he was looking at her. If it was possible, Hana came closer to him, her body firmly above his, her legs on the floor beside his waist. And Yusuke was completely aware of it all. He gulped. When he did, Hana smiled.

"Now, can you look at me?" She asked him. "Uh...yeah," he said, and she got off of him, seemingly to compose herself. With her back to him, she picked up the teacup and took the now empty teapot.

"Vampires become changed in a way that they can easily attract their prey," Hana said. "It takes a while for people to get used to them. I was pretty surprised when Kuwabara got over them so fast. You had to look into my eyes eventually, Yusuke."

Then she left the room to get more tea. Yusuke was still on the ground. He wasn't quite sure what to think.

- End of Chapter Two-


	3. Banquet

Chapter Three: Banquet

Soon enough, it was the night of the party. Koenma was fully supportive of Hana's idea, and had reminded his detectives to be fully cautious of who and what was happening around them. Kuwabara, who had invited Yukina, was trying to get her to go with him to the bridge by the river, which was neatly thwarted by Hiei. Yusuke, as the ever-so gracious host, was holding a drinking contest among his guests. Kurama was elsewhere, slowly sipping the drink he was handed in the beginning of the night, appraising the guests and greeting them when it was need. But the spotlight was clearly on Yusuke's guest of honor. He had introduced Hana at the beginning of the night as his geisha, and now all his guests wanted to be formally introduced to her. She bowed and smiled at them, poured their tea when they asked, and danced when there was music played. Kurama watched her and smiled to himself, wondering if she was enjoying the attention that the men lavished on her. Whenever their eyes met, gold piercing green, he tended to look away, having no real intentions of making a connection with this woman.

Hana turned back to the gentleman asking for her attention He was a relatively harmless demon, although he looked like the ten shots he'd taken had yet to do him in. "Tell us again, Hana," he said. "Tell us about America."

This was what her whole night had amounted to. Countless stories, some as real as they weren't, to countless gentlemen who would have much rather that she take her kimono off right then and there. She could tell that they wanted her, from the simplest beats of their hearts to the more complicated spike in between their legs whenever she tried to touch them. It would have been frustrating, even flattering, if only she didn't already have a century's worth of experience.

"Oh, I would have thought you would be bored with that already, Mister Kuro," she told him, smiling. "Please Hana," he said.

"One more tale to regale me as I make my way to the Human World," he said, puffing out his chest like it was so important that he make his way deeper into the Human World. Hana raised an eyebrow and purposefully leaned closer to him, ignoring the look Kurama gave her from across the room.

"The Human World?" She asked him, softly, seductively, like the idea of a demon trudging alongside humans was the sexiest thing she had ever heard. "I would _love_ to hear what you're going to do there, Mister Kuro."

His reaction was immediate. When she said his name, it was like a spell had fallen over him. He had swallowed his sake quickly, as if trying to shake off the feeling, but to no avail. Hana let out a tiny chuckle, which sent shivers up and down the poor guy's spine. It was the mention of his name on her lips. It pleasured him to no end."I really shouldn't-"

"Oh but please, Mister _Kuro,"_ Hana spoke softly. "You're being terribly unfair."

There it was. She knew she had him as soon as he had opened his mouth. Humans moved in an excruciatingly slow pace for Hana, only Hiei's constant flitting about had matched hers. So she relished in the words that Mister Kuro was speaking at a very slow pace.

"I'm on a special mission for my boss," he said. "There's been trouble with the newest shipment of Hisui and he needed someone on the inside to...uhm.."

His tone was cocky, like he had just gotten the world's greatest promotion. Hana's eyes sparkled, as she inched closer without really moving. "Tell me more, Mister Kuro," she said.

"Now now, we don't want to give away the entire plot, don't we, Mister Kuro?" A new voice asked, completely breaking Hana's hold on Mister Kuro, at least it had from her side of the conversation. Her eyes turned to the new stranger, and she actually had to stumble a bit. It was his eyes. They were red, and they scared her. They were so fixed on her that she actually swallowed down whatever it was she had in her throat. He had a tall, lithe figure, and he looked extremely crisp and professional in a white suit, which brought out his copper hair. His pale skin made him look like Hana's sibling, or perhaps a distant cousin. But you could tell that this man was a force to be reckoned with. Mister Kuro immediately shriveled at the sight of the man and left without even properly bowing to Hana. Shaking off her fears, Hana smiled and turned to the newcomer. "You just spoiled all of my fun, Mister-"

"Ushida," the man grinned. "Shin Ushida."

As he bent slightly to unashamedly kiss the back of Hana's hand, she remembered where she had seen this man before. He was the illusive man from the teahouse that she and Yusuke had visited. _So much for not enjoying the company of a geisha_, Hana thought as he stood back to his full height in a more excruciating pace. She had never met anyone so forward with her, especially when she already supposedly had a danna."Ushida-san," Hana said, immediately withdrawing her hand.

"Enjoying the evening?"

"Aw, kitten," he said with an arrogant smile, brushing a hand against the arm of her kimono before leaning forward to whisper into her ear. "I haven't even started yet."

The way he whispered it registered so lowly and so quickly that it scared Hana. She had never actually met anyone who kept up with her pace so perfectly. It creeped her out. A hand was placed on her exposed skin, pressing so hard that she would, ordinarily, have gotten a bruise.

"Stay out of my business, geisha," he threatened, dropping his hand almost immediately. Then he gave a deep, throaty laugh, one that unnerved Hana to no end. "You know," he said, settling into the uncomfortable position of keeping his hand on her arm. "I like you. I might just keep you around."

Then he leaned forward and ran his tongue up the side of Hana's neck, nipping lightly at the skin with his teeth, the little powder she had used that night mixing with saliva in the most unattractive way possible. Hana's eyes widened. It burned god. This guy was a vampire. And he was disgusting.

"Mister Ushida," Hana said, taking an immediate step back. "You're being rather forward, don't you think?"

"No," Shin said, grabbing Hana's shoulder and tossing her to the wall with so great a force that she could have easily cracked her head against it. For now, a small dent in the concrete sufficed. "I don't think I'm being too forward at all."

Hana made a sort of sound, somewhere between a groan and a moan. Shin seemed to enjoy that. "I'll come get you," Shin said. "It will be a pleasure doing business with you, kitten."

And then he turned his head and left, almost melting right into the crowd.

Besides that particular incident, the detectives didn't really find out anything relevant to the case. Yusuke had a few leads, and had decided to check up on them. Kuwabara had midterms coming up, and so he head to go back to the Human World for a while, which left Hana with Hiei and Kurama. Honestly, she didn't know what was much more fun, attempting conversation with Hiei or talking to a rock. Kurama seemed nice, but he seemed to be avoiding Hana's gaze as much as possible, even when they were in the teahouse. Botan had joked that nobody actually believed that Kurama was Hana's danna.

"You have to sell it, or nobody's going to take her seriously, Kurama!" Botan warned him.

Meanwhile, Shin's...visits had been increasing as the weeks went by. Each night, he would find new ways to scare Hana or make her terribly uncomfortable. It was all relatively harmless, besides his vampiric origins, Hana seemed sure that he was just some bored rich guy looking for another vampire to keep up with him. But the strangest thing had happened about two weeks later, when Yomi had personally invited Kurama to a banquet he was going to have within Mayaku.

Under the suspicion that Yomi was the one providing the demonic muscle behind the drug ring, Kurama went, with Hana at his side. Yomi greeted them with a smile on his face. "This is an interesting turn of events," he said. "Kurama, I don't think I've ever seen you so stiff around a woman, much less have a geisha of your own."

"What can I say, Yomi, I'm full of surprises," Kurama said almost sarcastically. Yomi chuckled.

"Indeed you are, Kurama," he said, letting them into the party.

By some strange twist, Yomi had decided on throwing a very simple, yet elegant cherry blossom viewing event in the outer part of Mayaku. Kurama and Hana very quietly strolled under the beautiful cherry trees, one unsure of saying anything to another. Kurama had the umbrella in his hand, the both of them just...walking, occasionally looking up to the gorgeous pink skyline. In any situation, Hana would have been the one to first initiate conversation, but this seemed different. It almost seemed as if Kurama didn't want to talk to her, which was fine, except that he was being absolutely ridiculous. They were part of freaking team. They were going to have to talk to each other at some point. The cherry blossoms were way too beautiful to just look at.

"Did I do something to offend you?" Hana suddenly blurt out, making Kurama pause turn to her.

"I'm sorry?" he said.

"You are supposed to be my danna," Hana said. "There must have been something you liked about me that made you choose me to be your one and only geisha."

"I didn't choose you," Kurama pointed out. "Koenma did. And Yusuke would certainly disagree that you and I are in an 'exclusive' understanding."

"I am speaking in the most hypothetical sense," Hana said, walking a bit ahead of him, letting the petals fall on her. "Come on Kurama. It's just a game."

"Alright, then," Kurama said, still walking behind her. "Let's say that we met one night at a teahouse."

"Classic," Hana said, smiling as she looked down at her feet. "Do go on."

"You were a young maiko then," he said. "Your hands shook when you served tea and you were the clumsiest dancer I had ever seen."

"Ouch," Hana said, almost giggling at that. She could imagine herself exactly like that. "But before the night would end in total disaster, you picked up your shamisen and began to sing," Kurama said, placing a hand against a string of cherry blossoms and smiling. "The entire room hushed upon hearing your voice, and I was impressed."Hana didn't say anything this time, almost asking Kurama to keep talking. He smiled briefly at someone who he had previously met at Gandara and walked closer to Hana, who had now stopped completely by the edge of the river.

"I had to meet you again," he said, coming up behind her. "I was persistent, and you made me laugh. You and I were both so young that you practically threw yourself at my feet." Hana wanted to punch his arm, but settled on poking it with the edge of her umbrella. "Many years later, you came into your own," he said with a sigh. "And I have watched you every step of the way, growing into the most beautiful geisha in the _hanamachi_."

There was a moment of silence as they reached a small bridge, the both of them simply standing there and looking down at the water. "How was that for hypothetical?" Kurama asked coolly, putting his hands into his pockets. Hana chuckled and shook her head. "How come you never really talked to me before today?" she asked him. Kurama sighed.

"I am not too sure myself," he confessed. "Maybe I didn't trust you. Perhaps I simply wanted to be alone with you."

Hana actually rolled her eyes, poking him again. "You are _such_ a charmer."

"Yomi doesn't know anything about the Hisui, by the way," Hana added. "And he's likely eavesdropping on us as much as I have on him." Kurama made a sound which voiced his approval.

"So, I guess our job here is done," he pointed out. Hana sighed. She was getting a bit tired of these dead ends and loose leads. It frustrated her that the bad guy was still out there somewhere, that despite their best efforts, the drug was still out there, addictive and as dangerous as hell.

"I don't think I want to call it a day yet," Hana said, determined as she walked away from the side of the bridge. Kurama followed her. "Well, since we already started conversation," Kurama said with a shrug. "Tell me why you decided to work with Koenma."

"Aha, so we're going into that stuff," Hana said, bowing respectfully at a fellow geisha as Kurama followed behind her. "I just don't see you having a lot of debt to pay, Spirit or Human World."

"Well...I _am_ a vampire," Hana pointed out.

"Yes, but Kuwabara and Yusuke told me you don't drink human blood anymore," Kurama said as they continued on the path, stopping by a little house that overlooked the fantastic view. Hana smiled. "I didn't know you boys could be such gossips," she told him as he leaned against the railing with his elbows, his green eyes seemingly trying to break her down. "I don't drink human blood because it's horrible. I've been down that road. No matter how...good it tastes, it...you know how you've always wanted to taste the sweetest of fruits, wondering how it would feel against your lips, or how it would run down your throat? That's what happened to me. When I was first...changed, I was immediately drawn to my husband's blood."

"You were thirsty," Kurama said.

"I was greedy," she told him. "And I knew that nothing, _nothing_ would make me stop until I had his blood."

"And you killed him?"

"They called him my singer. The way his blood called out to me overwhelmed me with seemingly insatiable thirst. I was a newborn. He didn't stand a chance." Hana closed her eyes, as if trying to bring his image back into her memory. But since her transformation, every human thought she ever had seemed to be buried deep within the recesses of her mind. She could barely remember the color of her husband's eyes. Were they brown? Blue?

"I...I'm so sorry," Kurama said, placing a hand on her shoulder. Hana smiled and turned her head toward him. "When I did that, I knew I couldn't stay in the Human World anymore. I felt so horrible and guilty that I just did whatever Koenma told me to do. Become a geisha. Stop drinking blood. Don't make fun of him because he looks like an idiot with a pacifier."

"Is it worth it?" Kurama asked after he had smiled. Hana sighed again.

"It's a lot like penance after confession," Hana said. "I'm completely prepared to do this for the rest of my life. I know it will never bring my husband back but...I need this. Besides, everyone seems to be in the market for a geisha vampire."She indicated the number of guests that were currently watching them both. Kurama chuckled and sighed. "Well, I guess we all have our fair share of retribution needs."

"Why Kurama," Hana said. "I sense a story coming on."

They continued to talk like this, their discussion getting deeper with each moment they continued. They shared their regrets about their lives, what they wanted to do now that they were given the chance to. They seemed to forget that they were there on a mission, simply because the conversation was so good.

"A round sword?" Hana asked curiously, as Kurama described Shigure to her. Kurama nodded and told her about that battle, how it had given him the clarity he needed. "It was then I decided that I wanted to keep being Suichi Minamino. I owe my mother so much that I would be a fool to become Youko Kurama."

"You must love her very much," Hana commented, smiling. Kurama noticed that there was something behind that smile of hers, something that she looked like she didn't want to share to him just yet. Their attention was caught by one of Yomi's servants, calling the guests to the dining area.

"Shall we?" Kurama asked, willingly extending an arm for Hana. She smiled and accepted it gracefully, feeling much more comfortable with him now.

- End of Chapter Three-


	4. Downtime

Chapter Four: Downtime

Kurama and Hana's conversation only really ended when the carriage stopped in front of the okiya. Hana noticed a hint of disappointment in his face and smiled.

"Why Kurama," she said to him, "Is that disappointment I see in your face?"

"Another end to another fruitless afternoon," he sighed, coming down from the rickshaw to help Hana down. "I'm a little disappointed that we didn't find anything."

"Hopefully, Yusuke and Hiei will have more answers," Hana reassured him, taking his hand as they went through the motions of a gentleman helping a defenceless young lady alight from her carriage. Kurama watched Hana walking back towards the apartment. Yusuke was right. He did prefer her without all of the garb of the geisha. Before she went completely inside, Hana paused and turned to Kurama.

"It wasn't completely fruitless, Kurama," she said to him. "I should say we both had quite the productive afternoon."

"Until next time then," he said, giving her a slight bow. Hana returned the favour before completely turning her head and going back upstairs. The rickshaw had left when Hana caught a whiff of blood. Kuwabara's spilled blood. Rushing upstairs, Hana saw Hiei bent over Kuwabara's fallen form, pressing hard against his stomach to stop the bleeding, yelling at him for being an idiot.

Hana found herself frozen at the spot. If she took another step..._Oh God, _she thought to herself. _He's bleeding. It would be such a shame to let the fresh blood go to waste, won't it? And Hiei wouldn't care. Oh god that smells amazing. It would be too easy. _She wondered when she had last tasted sweet, succulent human blood, blood that would fill her and satisfy her. Didn't she deserve it, after all her hard work? After wo many years of being so deprived, there it was. A chance, a sliver of her only desire. All that separated her from that was a fire demon whom she knew would only be too happy to part with Kuwabara.

"Don't just stand there, you idiot!" Hiei exclaimed, seeing Hana at the entryway. "Get help!"

This snapped Hana right back into the moment, and she nodded, throwing off the heaviest of her clothes and leapt through the window, running straight to Kurama and Yusuke's place just as Kurama's carriage arrived. The youko spotted her and immediately asked what was wrong.

"Someone attacked Kuwabara," she said, still forcing herself to focus. She could still smell him. "Hiei found him. I can't go back there, I'll snap-"

"Hana," Kurama said, placing his hands on her shoulders. "Get Yusuke and Botan. I'll go to Hiei."

Then she was gone.

Hours later, Kurama found Hana standing by a small pond within Genkai's compound. Botan's powers had been limited, and they needed Yukina's assistance and immediately brought Kuwabara to her. Kurama noticed Hana's absence when they had all started crowding inside the room, especially after Shizuru and Keiko arrived.

"How is he?" Hana asked before Kurama came five feet of her. He smiled and stood next to her by the pond. "He's healing quite nicely," he said. "Yukina did a fine job."

Hana said nothing, simply staring intently at the pond. Kurama could sense something was up and asked her what was on her mind.

"Kuwabara got hurt because of me," she said in a voice so soft that Kurama was surprised he could still hear her. "Everyone in the _hanamachi_ knows that it is my home. It would make sense that the attack was meant for me, and not to him."

"But why would anyone want to hurt a geisha?" Kurama asked. Hana sighed softly. She wished she knew. She wished she would have been the one to have received the attack, and not Kuwabara. They stood there for a while, mulling over their own thoughts when Hana suddenly turned around and said, "Yusuke."

Kurama turned as well, and spotted him approaching a good ten feet away. Yusuke gave them a wave as he got closer.

"Kuwabara just woke up," Yusuke said. "Took him five seconds to realize that the wonder twins saved his life. It was so funny, I didn't know of he was going to laugh or cry."

Yusuke suddenly paused when he saw Kurama's green eyes grow wide. He wondered why Kurama was giving him such a look when he realized what he had just said. "Oh sh-"

"Hiei and Yukina...are twins?" Hana asked curiously, furrowing her eyebrows, as of trying to imagine the resemblance. The eyes were a dead giveaway, if you thought about it, but other than that...who would have thought? "Does Kuwabara not know?"

"He does not, and neither should you," a voice suddenly spoke. Hana did not seem surprised to see Hiei out of the shadows of a nearby tree. "Urameshi. I didn't realize that my secret was so hard to keep."

"I'm sorry Hiei, it just slipped out," Yusuke immediately said laughing uncomfortably.

"This would not be so awkward had you already told her who you really are," Kurama pointed out calmly, as if Hiei glaring bloody murder was an everyday thing for him. Hiei didn't even want to hear it as he pointed his blade at Hana's neck.

"You keep your mouth shut, bloodsucker. I am, after all, a fire demon," he said icily before he withdrew his blade and flitted away. Kurama chuckled.

"I think he likes you," he said towards Hana, who smiled.

"But seriously, Hana. Don't tell anyone. Especially not Kuwabara," Yusuke said, throwing Kurama a look that seemed to be looking for some sympathy. Hana was just about to ask why when the door behind them burst open to reveal Kuwabara looking as fit as ever, prancing around and calling Yukina's name.

"The power of love has saved me!" he declared. "Oh Yukina, you're a perfect angel!"

"Oh dear," Hana said, smiling, quite forgetting that she had contemplated drinking Kuwabara's blood only moments ago. She found it sweet, the way Kuwabara doted on Yukina. Her husband might have been the same, only that it was almost impossible for her to remember. Botan soon arrived, having seen Kuwabara's not so lamenting lamentations.

"I guess its safe to assume that he's all better now," she said, floating steadily by their heads on a thin oar. "Right, I should let Koenma know. You guys deserve some rest for now."

Hana almost sighed in relief. She quite liked Genkai's temple. It seemed so serene and soothing. And she felt that at the very least, the boys needed a break. Kurama had mentioned during Yomi's party that he had missed his mother. Maybe now was the perfect time to see her.

"Hey Hana," Yusuke suddenly said. "Since were staying here a while, I'll let you meet Keiko. She's not all bad, after you get your first slap in the face." Yusuke then proceeded to pull Hana away from Kurama who did not protest and simply watched them. This should be interesting.

Much, much later, everyone convened in the Yukimura Ramen shop, lost in chatter and good companionship. Even Hana was getting along with the others like she had always been part of the gang. It had been quite difficult at first, Keiko and Yukina weren't used to talking to a vampire or a geisha before, much less someone who was so deeply involved in…whatever it was the guys were doing. Even Hana was uncomfortable, not knowing how to deal with these kinds of situations. That was, until someone (they weren't exactly who anymore) suggested they go shopping. Hana and Keiko were the first to voice their agreement to the idea, and quickly bonded over clothing styles, idols and such.

"I didn't know that you even knew how to speak _girl_," Yusuke teased as they all walked through the street market that was nearby. He got whacked in the head for that, and was forced to carry all of Keiko's purchases. Even Shizuru gave in and bought a new scarf, which Yukina thought looked pretty on her. Kuwabara had spotted an adorable lace handkerchief and bought it for Yukina under the guise of thanking her for saving his life.

"Oh Kazuma," Yukina said, blushing. "You didn't have to."

"I insist," Kuwabara said, making Hana giggle and think that Kuwabara was actually better with women than Yusuke was. While the others went towards a booth selling all kinds of plastic masks and fans, Kurama followed Hana into a paper lantern shop, where she picked up a cylindrical, green lantern and observed it carefully before setting it back down. Then she looked up at something before giving a tiny laugh.

"Look Kurama," she said, knowing that he had been right behind her, "_sakura."_

Kurama turned his eyes up, where indeed, there was a white paper lantern with cherry blossoms painted expertly on it. The shop owner lit it up and it looked ten times more gorgeous than it already had.

"Are you going to buy it?" Kurama inquired, as Hana continued to look up at it. She sighed. "I would if I could. But something that special deserves a home."

Kurama was debating whether he should say something comforting to her when Hana called the shop owner's attention and pointed to the lantern. "I'd like one, please."

Once the lantern was handed over to her and paid for, she placed it into Kurama's hands, while the youko only looked at her in confusion.  
"For your mom when you visit her," she said. "I'm sure she misses you a lot."

Kurama smiled and accepted the gift, thinking that it was thoughtful of Hana to remember his mother. As they left the booth to look for the others, he asked her more about her life.

"What do you remember of being a human?"

"Quite a lot," she said with a wistful smile as they walked past beautifully lit booths and shops. "Although most of my human memories are really hazy, like they weren't really mine to begin with. I'm from Seoul, apparently. I've told you that I had a husband, and I remember that we were both happily married for a time. We even had a son. My husband was away months at a time, and I clearly remember always feeling alone, so I frequently left the house during the evenings to take walks. I met a man during one of my walks. He was tall and gorgeous, and had the most brilliant eyes I had ever laid eyes on. I let him accompany me into the deeper areas of the park. I was so charmed by him that I didn't even realize that it was getting darker, more secluded. I don't even remember how it happened, or why, the next thing I knew was the presence of my husband. I could smell him, and it drove me crazy."

"Stop," Kurama suddenly said, placing a hand on her arm. "You don't have to tell me this part of the story."

She chuckled softly and looked up. "Well, the good news is, I still have direct living, breathing descendants. They're still in Korea, and I try to drop in once or twice, when I can."  
Kurama noticed that her face had changed at this point. She seemed proud, happy that she still had something to hold on to in the Human World.

"You should visit them," he suggested, putting his hands into his pockets. "Seoul shouldn't be such a stretch from here."

She seemed to consider the suggestion, but kept her eyes up in the sky. Behind them, the others left the night market and suggested they all go to the Ramen shop. Kurama held up his lantern to the light and smiled. His mother would really like it.

- End of Chapter Four-


	5. Attack

Chapter Five: Danger

After a few days, Hana decided to go back to Mayaku early, just to make sure that she had everything she needed to resume her geisha activities. She was also feeling a bit parched, but she didn't have to tell the others that. Insisting that everyone stay back at Genkai's for at least another day, she left, arriving at the okiya a bit before lunch. Stepping into the apartment, she checked everything to make sure they hadn't been looted. She inspected her makeup, noticing that some of her paint was getting dry. She would have to get new pots soon. Keeping the windows shut, she sat and began to meditate her thirst away. It usually helped. She imagined herself visiting her family in Korea, all of them greeting her happily. Maybe they would go to the amusement park. Or shop in Myeongdong, as they usually liked. Maybe she would bring Kurama and Kuwabara. Hiei would probably go if Yukina would go. Yusuke would go if Kuwabara coaxed him. Maybe.

Suddenly, she heard the slam behind her. She hadn't been breathing, so she had no idea that someone was there. The next few seconds were pretty quick. She grabbed Shin's hand before he stabbed something into her neck and pushed him back. In the next second, she had her back against the cieling, wriggling away from the full body hold he had on her. Another second, and they were on the floor. She was thrashing to get away from his grip, slapping him across his face.

"Ah ah ah kitten," he warned, jamming his hand into her neck to keep her down, his legs keeping her hands to her side. "Don't struggle. I'm supposed to teach you a lesson."  
"What are you doing?" Hana asked, her voice rising in panic as Shin brandished something from his pocket. A needle with greenish liquid inside. He grinned as he saw it, pushing it a little to make sure the needle worked. A bit of the liquid dripped to the tatami mats and the material melted where the liquid touched it. Hana struggled even more.  
"Let me introduce you to a little friend of mine," he said, lowering the needle. "In these circles, they call it Hisui, but this would be much more potent than that. Our version of the drug, if you will. Just imagine, one shot of this would instantly kill your average demon. For creatures like us...well, let's just say that I'm glad I won't be around to see you with it."

Then he shoved the needle into her skin. The sensation was similar to having fire injected into her skin. She began to thrash even more, so Shin smiled in satisfaction and stood up. He planted a kiss on Hana's head as she began to sweat.  
"Next time, kitten," he said, turning around. "Ask permission before you snoop around my business."

Hana had no idea how long she was lying there, screaming. She couldn't stand, but she felt like she had to, every inch of her body was being twisted and pulled, and she could feel the poison just spreading. Was there anyone she could ask help from? Knowing that she was already dead, she knew the pain wasn't going to just go away. Why, why couldn't she just..._die_? She must have blacked out five times before waking up again. But on her latest revival, she saw red. Was she bleeding? No, it was red hair. Kurama's red hair.  
"Keep your eyes open," his voice faded in and out. She was freezing, and that was a nice change to the heat. She didn't even know that she could still feel cold. Her eyes fluttered. _Sorry, Kurama._ She felt like she was drowning, but it was the kind of drowning that choked you and enveloped you, the kind that you just had to fight against.

"Stop," she said, and she could hear the others speaking to her somewhere, above the surface. "Stop!" Everything was still dark and she was being dragged further into the deep. "No!"

Suddenly, there was blue light. But that was weird, how could there be light? Hana felt herself reaching for it, reaching until...

"Ah. Glad to see you in the living world again, Hana."

"K-kurama?"

"Yes, Kurama," He said, smiling as he tucked her deeper into the sheets. "That was some poison you had on you. Now the whole of Mayaku is worried that you're dead, or that Yusuke or I had done something horrible to you."

"Poison?" Hana asked, trying to clear her mind. Kurama nodded. "I had it sent to the Spirit World to be analyzed, but it's only just to confirm my suspicions."  
"Hisui?" She asked him.  
"We may just have our maker," Kurama said. "All we need to do is find his meth lab."

In the next few days, Shin was nowhere to be found. Hana made sure that the entire _hanamachi_ knew that she was fine, and that her relationships with her _danna _were stronger than ever.  
"Then what was that horrible noise we heard out your window the other day?" one of her patrons asked. "It sounded a lot like screaming."  
"I do apologize," Hana said meekly. "I did not mean to disturb you all so. I was just recently fascinated by the teamwork between myself and my _dannas_," she blushed. "It made for a very interesting night."

That shut everyone up about her business really quickly. Meanwhile, Hiei and Kuwabara were trying to find traces of where Shin could have been making the Hisui, but to no avail. They were still waiting on what the Spirit World had to say about it.

On a summer evening, Hana and Yusuke were walking back from the teahouse. They were discussing other places that they have yet to find, each of which could be where Shin made the Hisui. The Spirit World already confirmed what they were thinking.

"The Hisui injected in Hana was a more purified version," Koenma had told them. "This particular concoction had demon DNA in it, meaning whoever made this batch of Hisui used demon bodies as a place to ferment the drug. The process is ancient, and is linked to only one person in Mayaku."

"Shin," the name came out of Yusuke's lips like a growl.

"Indeed," Koenma said. "You have your man. Now we have to pull our efforts into finding him."

But this time, it was Shin who found them. Hana was dancing to regale a group of businessmen who came into Mayaku to close a deal. Yusuke had slipped in to the back, and Hana gave him a wink as she made a turn. He had been asking around the tea shop for the man, and nobody had seen him since his party. He was just about to leave when one of the waitresses at the shop handed him a note. "For your geisha," they said, giving him a bow before scurrying away. Yusuke, curious, opened the contents of the note. It was written in what he could only assume was gibberish, lots of circles and characters he didn't recognize. As the businessmen asked Hana for one more dance, she walked towards Yusuke.

"Shall we go?" She asked him lightly. He nodded and handed Hana the note. She blinked at the characters. Yusuke heard her gasp and her breathing get quicker, although he couldn't tell if it was fear or excitement.

"Where did this come from, Yusuke?" she asked, grabbing his arm. "Where?" The last question came out sharper, her grip on his arm tighter.

"One of the waitresses gave it to me. You actually understand this?"

Without another word, Hana bolted out the door, moving faster than Yusuke had ever seen. She'd ripped off her obi and was running to the okiya when Yusuke caught up with her.

"What's the matter, Hana?" he asked, pulling her backward as Kuwabara and Kurama came downstairs to see what was going on. Hana held up the letter.

"It's Shin," she said, her eyes directed to Kurama. "He knows me, who I was before all of this. He's upset that I survived he-he's threatening to kill my family."

As she said this, she thrust the letter into Kurama's hands and started to rip off her kimono. Kurama saw her hands shaking with fear. "I have to go to Seoul. I have to make sure they're-If they-"

"Calm down, Hana," Kurama said, taking her wrists and forcing her to look directly at him. "We'll go together. Koenma has them under protection, they should be okay."

"No, Kurama," Hana said. "You have to stay. Kuwabara will go with me."

A few hours later, Hana and Kuwabara arrived at a residential area in Seoul. Hana was out the car before Kuwabara could shut the engine. The house was ablaze, and as the neighbors all exclaimed and pointed at the towering inferno, Hana stood frozen on the sidewalk. Kuwabara emerged from the car and looked up at the fire.

"YONGHWA!" Hana screamed, tears streaming down her face. "I have to go inside, they might still be-"

"No, Hana!" Kuwabara exclaimed, grabbing her shoulders and pulling her back, which was about as difficult as pulling back a Toguro brother. "You can't go in there! They might find out you're a vampire."

"I don't care, I don't care, I just have to get to my family-" Then she continued to scream out the names of the house's residents, the neighbors watching her with pity as the alarms of the fire truck were coming into their hearing.

"They're gone, Hana, they're gone," Kuwabara insisted, still fighting against her. "I can't sense their spirit energy inside anymore."

"NO!" Hana yelled at him. "They can't just be gone! Koenma said he would protect them! He was my son, Kuwabara! Yonghwa was my son, so DON'T tell me that he's dead!"

Everyone ducked as what remained of the house burst in an explosion of flames, sending the people on the ground. Hana's cries filled the air as the firemen attempted to quell the flames. Kuwabara was about to usher her into the car when she punched him across the face, about to run into the blazing house. Before she could take the five steps towards the house, a voice pulled her back. "Kurama," she said, turning around to see the redhead standing right behind her. "I have to go in there."

"There's no use," He said to her, his eyes somber. "Botan just told us. Your family is gone."

He didn't understand. They couldn't have just died. They were supposed to be free from all of her darkness. They were supposed to live a happy, normal life. She had given up so much for her son, and for him and his family to die like this...

Hana ran into Kurama's body and sobbed into his chest, feeling her knees give out from under her. She could no longer stand to fight. What was the point? Kurama wrapped his arms around her body, rubbing smooth circles onto her back.

"Shin confessed to the crimes," Kurama told her. "I asked Koenma to read the note he gave you. He admitted to the drugs, your family, everything. We have him, Hana. Yusuke and Hiei managed to find his location. We can go there now and end this."

Her breath hitched and she pulled away from Kurama. Looking behind her, the house was nothing but ash. "What's the point, Kurama? My family is gone. I have nothing left to fight for. You and the boys can handle him. I can't stay knowing that I was the reason why they died. I can't live like this anymore. I have to go."

"No," Kurama said firmly. "You are not going to disappear like this. You can't run away from this!"

Her eyes immediately turned dark, her voice dropping to a feral tone as she snapped at him. "Watch me."

With those words, she was gone. Kurama sighed and turned to Kuwabara. They had a mission to finish.

Kuwabara and Kurama made it back to Makakyu in no time, Hiei and Yusuke already waiting for them.  
"Where's the vampire?" Hiei asked, his tone sounding snide, but the other three could tell there was sincerity underneath that somehow.  
"She's decided to forego this particular part of the mission," Kurama said delicately, looking as calm as ever. "We'll have to do this on our own."  
"Just like old times, eh?" Yusuke asked, pretending to pull up his sleeve as they arrived just outside Shin's factory. The four of them lowered by a hedge, Hiei flitting up a tree to see what they were up against.  
"See anything, shrimp?" Kuwabara asked. Hiei chose to ignore him and continued his visual assessment of the area.  
"At least a hundred guards, not all human," he commented, keeping his voice low. "One way into the factory. He's at the top of that tower."  
The other three followed Hiei's gaze as a figure paused at the window and turned to them, facing the direction that they were hiding.  
"Ugh, this guy seriously gives me the creeps," Kuwabara said, shaking his head like it was going to help. "What's the plan, Yusuke?" Kurama asked, as Yusuke took one last glance over at the factory. He grinned.  
"I don't think this bastard will mind too much if we go for breaking and entering," he said, a grin on his face as he slammed his fist into the palm of his hand. "Let's go!"

Approximately twenty minutes later, the Reikai Tantei had arrived at the lobby of the elaborate drugs factory. The guards outside had barely seen them coming, the four of them easily overwhelming what was supposed to be the most elite group of guards in Mayaku. Kuwabara had been hesitant about killing the human guards, but when he saw that they were just as bloodthirsty and high on Hisui as the others, he settled for seriously injuring them and moving on.

The lobby of the factory looked like the base of the entire place. Above their heads, an assembly line of bodies and chemicals were still, as if they had been right in the middle of creating more when the four had arrived. The place looked abandoned, and as nothing seemed to come at them, Yusuke relaxed.  
"Well, we're in," he said. "Now what?"

In front of them, descending one of the two staircases that led to the lobby of the dark factory, they saw him. Shin looked completely pleased, clapping his hands slowly.  
"Congratulations, boys," he said. "You made it into the factory. I see you're short one member? What happened to my little kitten?"  
"She decided you weren't worth her time," Kuwabara exclaimed aloud, immediately taking a battle stance. "So we're going to kick your ass for her!"  
A twisted smile painted Shin's lips as he was midway towards them. "You sound determined. I'll tell you what, I'll give you a free shot at me. Go ahead. I dare you."

Kuwabara had charged after the man before Kurama could tell him to stop. His spirit sowrd extended out of his fingers and he lunged straight for him. Shin jumped before Kuwabara could touch him, slamming his foot down Kuwabara's back and sending him down the stairs in a nasty thud. Yusuke and Kurama ran towards him, as blood started to flow from places it shouldn't be flowing from. Hiei grit his teeth and growled at Shin who laughed.

"Care to try me, fire demon?"

"He wouldn't dare," a voice behind Hiei spoke, and the entire room was flooded with light from outside. Shin laughed from his position on the stairs, Kurama, Yusuke and Hiei squinting a bit before they realized who had arrived.  
"Look who decided to show up and save the day!" Shin exclaimed. "Welcome back, kitten. I trust I will actually find a challenge when I go up against you?"  
"You guys get Kuwabara out of here," she said to the three, but her words were more directed to Kurama than anyone else. "If I'm not out of the factory in thirty minutes, you have my permission to blow it up. Now go, please."

Yusuke hefted Kuwabara into his back, the scent of the man's blood filling the air like a delicious bouquet, vanishing as soon as they were outside.  
"Now Shin," Hana said, adjusting her stance. "Are you ready to die?"  
"Oh hush, love," Shin said. "Our kind doesn't die as easily as you think."

Hana began the assault charging towards him with a paper fan in her hand. She brandished the fan to the side, and a knife emerged from the folds, moving do fast that the tip burned as it scratched the side of Shin's diamond-hard skin. He brushed a finger across the cut, licking it momentarily.  
"Interesting, the taste of your own blood. You're going to have to do better, kitten."  
Then he reached forward and smashed his leg on Hana's chest, sending her flying backwards and smacking into the concrete wall. Before she could regain her composure, Shin was sitting on her, snaking his tongue up the side of her face, his hands pushing her wrists down on the shattered concrete.  
"You want me to tell you a little secret, kitten?" he whispered into her ear, grinding his lower body onto her stomach. The sensation made Hana's guts churn. "Better yet," he continued, pushing his arms lower as Hanna struggled. "I'll tell you a story."

"Once upon a time, there was a man who fancied himself to be quite the herbalist. Drugs were the product _du jour_in our time, and as I am now, the man flourished in creating temporary happiness and ensnaring the minds of hapless, innocent fools who could afford it."

There was a high-pitched quality to his voice that made Hana think of the castrated young men in church choirs, but his was at a pitch that struck fear into her heart. "One night, when the sky was dark and the moon was full, a hungry vampire entered the drug chamber as ravenous as ever. The man, fearing for his life, promised the vampire a drug so strong that it would make him forget the thirst that was eating him alive. You know the feeling, don't you, kitten? When you thirst so badly that anything with warm blood will do? He promised that he could make a drug that would make it go away. And do you know what, kitten? It actually worked! As long as the drugs were in your system, you were normal. I would dare say I was human. It satisfied me, and I spared the druggist's life."

"But what neither of us knew was that the after-effects were worse than the intended effect. Once the drugs were gone my thirst grew and grew, making more ravenous, more deadly, more greedy than ever before. I was wiping out entire villages by myself, still feeling the burning thirst down my throat. The druggist had died, but not before leaving me the perfect recipe for Hisui. Any human who had this stuff in their veins tasted ten times sweeter. Centuries later, here I am, a man of insatiable thirst and an entire factory of these drugs at my disposal. You see kitten, it's all just a game. And you have been the perfect distraction. Once these drugs hit the streets of the human world, everything will be mine for the taking. Imagine a world where you food runs amok, ready for the picking? Sounds delicious, no?"

"No," Hana echoed, about to reach up and bite Shin's ear when a green vine with long, sharp thorns whipped around Shin's neck and tugged him backwards. Hana turned to see Kurama and Hiei a few feet away, the rose whip in Kurama's hand tugging at Shin's neck.

"Kurama!" Hana exclaimed, unable to contain how happy she was to see him.

Kurama took a moment to smile at her, but a moment was all it took for Shin to sprint forward and clamp his jaws down Kurama's shoulder, making both Kurama and Hana scream as he collapsed. Hiei was the first to react, pulling Shin away and blasting him with a burst of flames from his hands. Hana grabbed the end of Kurama's whip and pulled hard enough to snap the vampire's head off his neck, leaving him to die in the flames. Kurama's body was shaking like a leaf underneath Hana, who quickly realized that Shin had infused his venom into the bite. She cursed under her breath as Hiei kneeled next to her. Kurama's body writhed and he screamed, as if he was the one who had been set on fire.

"What do we do?" Hiei asked like he was studying a murder scene and not his best friend.  
"If we don't do anything, he'll be dead within a minute," Hana said, her lips trembling as she saw blood ooze from the bite and onto Kurama's pale flesh. "I have to suck out the poison."  
"So do it," Hiei said.  
"I—I can't, if I lose control, I can kill him."  
"So try not to kill him."

Hiei's words made it sound so simple and hard to refuse that Hana did it. Licking her own lips, she slid her mouth over the bitten flesh and sucked, venom filling her mouth. She sipped harder, the bitter taste of Shin's venom diluting further and further into a sweet elixir, filling her and making her entire body tingle at the taste. She ignored Hiei trying to pull her away. God, this was fucking fantastic. How ever could she have stopped drinking human blood before?

Something grabbed at her hand, which made her jump backwards and off Kurama's body. Kurama had summoned the last of his strength to grab her hand! She blinked, realizing what was happening. Kurama's already injured body looked a bit blue for lack of blood. If anything, he looked a lost worse.  
"Oh my god," Hana said, taking three steps backward. "What the fuck have I—get him out of here. Get him out of here, Hiei!"

The fire demon didn't need to be told twice. Taking Kurama's limp body, he vanished in a flash. Around Hana, the factory continued to burn, the drugs melting along with it. She ran her hand across her mouth as Kurama's blood smeared her cheek like bright licorice candy.

- End of Chapter Five-


	6. Epilogue: Redemption

Chapter Six: Redemption

Kurama woke up to the smell of antiseptic. He had always heated that smell. It was a grim reminder to him of what he had become. Human. There was also that connection he made to antiseptics and his own mother when she had been dying in a hospital before. Back then; it was like the smell would never come off his clothes and his own mother. Now it was everywhere, filling his nostrils like it was teasing him.

His eyes shot awake as his hears registered low beeping sounds. Who was in the hospital? His vision adjusted as he looked at his mother's worried face. She had more wrinkles now more than ever, like they had appeared in however long a time he had been out of consciousness. She looked relatively relieved to see him. The first thing he had heard was her sigh of relief.

"Oh good, you're awake," she said, like he had just forgotten to wake up on a school day. "The doctors were starting to get worried that you had fallen into a coma. Are you hungry, darling? I still have some rice cakes here, I think…"

That was his mother's way of taking care of him. Honestly, Kurama would have been content to live the rest of his life sitting at the dining table with his mother and her comforting meals. But he wasn't hungry at the moment, so he just smiled and politely shook his head. His entire body felt like it was burning as pain shot up and down his limbs. He ignored it.

"What happened?" He asked his mother, although he knew that she wasn't going to give him the answer that he was actually looking for.

"You got into a car accident, sweetie," she said, brushing the bright red bangs out of his eyes as she always did when he was younger. "Yusuke called me from the hospital. He said the guys didn't see you crossing the road, which is odd, considering your hair."

She ruffled his hair then, making him smile, which made his chest hurt a bit. "The doctors say you almost died, and you lost a lot of blood, but thankfully, you're okay."

"Yusuke was here?" Kurama asked as his mother beeped for the nurse, as if sensing her son was in pain.

"Yes, he was here. You were hardly ever alone. When I had to go to work, Yusuke would drop by with your friend, Hana. She was here practically every night! I finally got her to have some rest when you woke up!"

Kurama registered that in his head as the nurse arrived to give him his dosage of painkillers. He imaged Hana in his head, her brows furrowed with worry, her bright eyes staring at him as she barely slept. The thought lulled him back into a dreamless, painless sleep.

He was out of the hospital a few days later. Kuwabara had been fine, just a broken rib, but he'd recovered quite quickly under Yukina's care. Koenma had only been too happy to inform them that the entire facility had been destroyed with no trace of the drugs. Once the rumors spread that the drugs could actually kill you in one hit, the market dissipated pretty quickly. Shin had been selfish enough not to share his secret recipe, and so the drug was now non-existent, which gave Kurama and odd sense of relief. His doctor had encouraged him to take walks 'to feel human again,' and he was doing just that as he walked to the park across the street from his house.

Amidst the cherry trees, he spotted a woman sitting alone on the benches, sipping her cup of coffee.

Kurama smiled to himself and stood in front of her. He observed her for a moment. She was in street clothes, particularly a pale, blue green skirt that billowed to the floor with a skin-tight black shirt. She was wearing thick, platform heels so her feet actually touched the ground. Round sunglasses covered her eyes from the sun.

Kurama closed his eyes for a moment and he could remember exactly what she looked like only about a month ago, posing as the greatest geisha that every graced Mayaku. He could still see it in her, the way she sat, the way her fingers grasped the paper cup like it was a delicate piece of china.

"You and I are going to have to stop running away," He sighed, sitting next to her without asking. Hana didn't seem surprised that he was there. She only sighed like she had been holding on to it for a thousand years. She put down her coffee cup. "We can't run forever."

"We can't," she agreed and placed her hand over Kurama's. He lightly kissed the top of her hand and leaned back against the bench, feeling more content than he had ever been.

-End-


End file.
